HEALTH

Workshop on capacity building at CMCH
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, June 19
A five-day workshop for capacity building in primary health care delivery got under way at Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) here yesterday.

According to Dr Benjamin, professor and head of the department of community medicine, the objective of the workshop is to improve the capacity of peripheral hospitals to provide comprehensive health services at the doorstep of people.

"We aim to train community health workers who are already working in difficult and needy areas for the benefit of people around the hospital. Scarce health services, poor transport and poverty prevent the rural poor from getting the health care they need. To help them, these hospitals are equipped with medical facilities.”

Hospital personnel from the hilly regions of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are participating in the workshop, informed Dr Shavinder Singh.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Dr Benjamin remarked that a staggering 5,00,000 Indians die of tuberculosis every year. The challenge was to convince patients to continue treatment for as long as necessary. Another critical health issue that killed thousands of babies is diarrhoea. A simple treatment of salt and sugar solution could prevent this.

He said community health workers taught mothers to take care of their children and educated people on various health issues. The present workshop and other such endeavours to follow aimed at training and building a team of health workers. This team would, at the time of need, deliver the community health care in a precise, technical and documented manner.

Hospital services for ex-servicemen
Our Correspondent

Doraha, June 19
Sidhu Hospital, Doraha, is one of the first in the rural sector of sub tehsil Payal, Ludhiana district, to be empanelled by the ministry of defence for the cashless treatment of ex-servicemen and their dependents under the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS).

Dr Ravinder Singh Sidhu, director, Sidhu Hospital, said, “The empanelling of the Sidhu Hospital preceded a series of stringent inspections by a high powered armed forces medical team comprising professionals from various disciplines in health care and the administration in order to ascertain whether the hospital was fully equipped to provide high quality treatment that is generally available to our servicemen and their dependents in military hospitals”.

A memorandum of agreement was today signed by Brig Rajiv Bhatia, station commander, Ludhiana, and Dr Ravinder Singh Sidhu, director, Sidhu Hospital, formally commenced the facility of cashless treatment for the ECHS members.

Brig Bhatia visited various departments of the hospital, including general wards, private rooms and operating theatres, in order to ascertain the overall preparedness of the hospital for the proper treatment of ECHS members.

He was appreciative of the latest facilities in the hospital and high standard of professionalism among the staff.

SPORTS

Student bags 8 medals in swimming meet
Our Sports Reporter